This application relates to detergent compositions for use with a cleaning implement comprising a superabsorbent material useful in removing soils from hard surfaces. The application particularly relates to cleaning implements comprising a removable absorbent cleaning pad, preferably designed so as to provide multiple cleaning surfaces.
The literature is replete with products capable of cleaning hard surfaces such as ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors, counter tops and the like. In the context of cleaning floors, numerous devices are described comprising a handle and some means for absorbing a fluid cleaning composition. Such devices include those that are reusable, including mops containing cotton strings, cellulose and/or synthetic strips, sponges, and the like. While these mops are successful in removing many soils from hard surfaces, they typically require the inconvenience of performing one or more rinsing steps during use to avoid saturation of the material with dirt, soil, and other residues. These mops therefore require the use of a separate container to perform the rinsing step(s), and typically these rinsing steps fail to sufficiently remove dirt residues. This may result in redeposition of significant amounts of soil during subsequent passes of the mop. Furthermore, as reusable mops are used over time, they become increasingly soiled and malodorous. This negatively impacts subsequent cleaning performance.
To alleviate some of the negative attributes associated with reusable mops, attempts have been made to provide mops having disposable cleaning pads. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,559, issued Mar. 10, 1992 to Riviera et al., describes a mop that includes a disposable cleaning pad comprising a scrubber layer for removing soil from a soiled surface, a blotter layer to absorb fluid after the cleaning process, and a liquid impervious layer positioned between the scrubber and blotter layer. The pad further contains a rupturable packet means positioned between the scrubber layer and the liquid impervious layer. The rupturable packets are so located such that upon rupture, fluid is directed onto the surface to be cleaned. During the cleaning action with the scrubber layer, the impervious sheet prevents fluid from moving to the absorbent blotter layer. After the cleaning action is completed, the pad is removed from the mop handle and reattached such that the blotter layer contacts the floor. While this device may alleviate the need to use multiple rinsing steps, it does require that the user physically handle the pad and reattach a soiled, damp pad in order to complete the cleaning process.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,015, issued May 30, 1995 to Garcia, describes a mop having removable, washable work pads. The pad is described as comprising an upper layer which is capable of attaching to hooks on a mop head, a central layer of synthetic plastic microporous foam, and a lower layer for contacting a surface during the cleaning operation. The lower layer""s composition is stated to depend on the end-use of the device, i.e., washing, polishing or scrubbing. While the reference addresses the problems associated with mops that require rinsing during use, the patent fails to provide a cleaning implement that sufficiently removes the soil deposited on typical household hard surfaces, in particular floors, such that the surface is perceived as essentially free of soil. In particular, the synthetic foam described by Garcia for absorbing the cleaning solution has a relatively low absorbent capacity for water and water-based solutions. As such, the user must either use small amounts of cleaning solution to remain within the absorbent capacity of the pad, or the user must leave a significant amount of cleaning solution on the surface being cleaned. In either situation, the overall performance of the cleaning pad is not optimal.
While many known devices for cleaning hard surfaces are successful at removing a vast majority of the soil encountered by the typical consumer during the cleaning process, they are inconvenient in that they require one or more cleaning steps. The prior art devices that have addressed the issue of convenience typically do so at the cost of cleaning performance. As such, there remains a need for a device that offers both convenience and beneficial soil removal.
Therefore, the present invention preferably provides a cleaning implement that comprises a removable cleaning pad, which alleviates the need to rinse the pad during use. This requires an implement that comprises a removable cleaning pad with sufficient absorbent capacity, on a gram of absorbed fluid per gram of cleaning pad basis, that allows the cleaning of a large area, such as that of the typical hard surface floor (e.g., 80-100 ft2), without the need to change the pad. This, in turn, requires the use of a superabsorbent material, preferably of the type disclosed hereinafter. It has now been found that the detergent composition that is used with such superabsorbent matierials must be carefully formulated to avoid defeating the goal of using such superabsorbent material.
The preferred cleaning implements have a pad which offers beneficial soil removal properties due to continuously providing a fresh surface, and/or edge to contact the soiled surface, e.g., by provideng a plurality of surfaces that contact the soiled surface during the cleaning operation.
Detergent compositions which are to be used with an implement containing a superabsorbent material require sufficient detergent to enable the solution to provide cleaning without overloading the superabsorbent material with solution, but cannot have more than about 0.5% detergent surfactant without the performance suffering. to Therefore, the level of detergent surfactant should be from about 0.01% to about 0.5%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 0.45%, more preferably from about 0.2% to about 0.45%; the level of hydrophobic materials, including solvent, should be less than about 0.5%, preferably less than about 0.2%, more preferably less than about 0.1%; and the pH should be more than about 9, preferably more than about 9.5, more preferably more than about 10, to avoid hindering absorption, and the alkalinity should preferably be provided, at least in part, by volatile materials, to avoid streaking/filming problems. The detergent surfactant is preferably predominantly linear, e.g., aromatic groups should not be present, and the detergent surfactant is preferably relatively water soluble, e.g., having a hydrophobic chain containing from about 8 to about 12, preferably from about 8 to about 11, carbon atoms, and, for nonionic detergent surfactants, having an HLB of from about 9 to about 14, preferably from about 10 to about 13, more preferably from about 10 to about 12.
The invention also comprises a detergent composition as disclosed herein in a container in association with instructions to use it with an absorbent structure comprising an effective amount of a superabsorbent material, and, optionally, in a container in a kit comprising the implement, or, at least, a disposable cleaning pad comprising a superabsorbent material.
The invention also relates to the use of the composition and a cleaning pad comprising a superabsorbent material to effect cleaning of soiled surfaces, i.e., the process of cleaning a surface comprising applying an effective amount of a detergent composition containing no more than about 1% detergent surfactant; a level of hydrophobic materials, including solvent, that is less than about 0.5%; and a pH of more than about 9 and absorbing the composition in an absorbent structure comprising a superabsorbent material.
In one preferred aspect, the present invention relates to the use of the described detergent composition with an implement for cleaning a surface, the implement comprising:
a. a handle; and
b. a removable cleaning pad comprising a superabsorbent material and having a plurality of substantially planar surfaces, wherein each of the substantially planar surfaces contacts the surface being cleaned, and preferably a pad structure which has both a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is located between the scrubbing layer and the second layer and has a smaller width than the second layer.
Depending on the means used for attaching the cleaning pad to the cleaning implement""s handle, it may be preferable for the cleaning pad to further comprise a distinct attachment layer. In these embodiments, the absorbent layer would be positioned between the scrubbing layer and the attachment layer.
The detergent composition and, preferably, the implement of the present invention are compatible with all hard surface substrates, including wood, vinyl, linoleum, no wax floors, ceramic, Formica(copyright), porcelain, glass, wall board, and the like.